At times, Miller has looked uncomfortable to me while playing the wing. I don't think it has anything to do with playing the wing, however. He's looked like a trainwreck at times at center.
I don't really see Lindberg as a third line NHL center at any time in his career, let alone 2014-15.
I do agree that Miller's struggles at the NHL level have less to do with the position he played in and more to do with the fact that he's a young player who's just trying to figure out how he fits as a NHL player. It's not uncommon for a young player to struggle. We seem to forget that. Staals, McDonaghs, etc are the exception, not the rule. I think Miller will eventually become a decent 2nd/3rd line tweener at center, but I think we're going to have to be patient with him.
And I really disagree about Lindberg. He's not really bad at anything, and he's a smart player. He reminds me of Hagelin (not speed or similar skillsets at all) only in the way that Hagelin has been an even better NHL player than he was a NCAA player. Some players just have something click for them at a later stage of their development. For Hagelin, it was his senior year in college followed by his NHL debut where he really realized how he could use his dynamic speed to be a factor every shift if he kept his motor going. In the same respect, I see Lindberg finding his strengths at the NHL level and becoming a solid 3rd line center who does a little bit of everything. Call it a hunch, but I just saw something click in him about halfway through the season with the Pack last season. He did put up 44 points in 75 games in his first AHL season. And while Miller put up 43 points in only 41 games during the same season, I just see Lindberg's game translating better in the 3C role right now. And again, I see Miller having the higher ceiling (potentially a 2C), with Lindberg topping out at a great 3C, I just feel like Lindberg's more physically and mentally ready to handle that role right now. I could be completely wrong, but that's my thought right now.
I think there's no doubt that between the two of them, one of them grabs the 3C spot with authority in training camp.
The issue is then that Stepan is still playing as a 1C, and Brassard as a 2C, when it would be ideal to have each of them playing down a line. It worked last season, but Lindberg/Miller can't be expected to provide the type of scoring depth that Brad Richards did in the same spot. I still think Sather has something up his sleeve (Joe Thornton, Eric Staal, Ryan O'Reilly). If not, we may see some growing pains early on in the season.
On a semi-related note: No more Marc Staal trade proposals please.
Assets available in a potential trade for a 1C:
Stepan
Brassard
Miller
Klein
J. Moore
McIlrath
Fast
(yes, Stepan is included, because he's due to make 6+ million long-term next season, and that may not be the best thing for this team going forward, and if you can upgrade a somewhat one-dimensional (he's a passer who rarely even looks to shoot) 1/2 C tweener like Stepan to a legitimate 1C under 30, it's worth it IMO)
